Magic players: Team meeting helped us, especially Vucevic

December 4, 2012|By Josh Robbins, Orlando Sentinel

SALT LAKE CITY — Many Orlando Magic players think they boosted their chemistry — and their on-court results — from a team meeting last Thursday in which they sought to define their roles and their expectations for each other more clearly.

But the meeting has helped 22-year-old center Nik Vucevic most of all.

Vucevic had struggled in several games before the meeting, but he has played well so far on the Magic's current West Coast road trip. In Sunday's win over the Los Angeles Lakers, he scored 17 points, collected 12 rebounds and blocked four shots. In Monday's win over the Golden State Warriors, he contributed 14 points, 15 boards and two blocks.

"We had a meeting about our roles," power forward Glen Davis said. "I think out of everybody, he's been looking at his role and accepting his role the best as far as playing hard and doing what he needs to do for our team. Being young and going through all that, it's just going to help him.

"He just needs to play extremely hard. Some nights, it's going to be his night. Some nights, it's not. But him just playing hard helps us tremendously."

Much about this season is new for Vucevic, who started 15 games as a rookie last season for the Philadelphia 76ers.

He's started all 17 of the Magic's games this season. As a regular starter, he's facing opponents' best centers every game.

Vucevic will face another challenge when the Magic play the Utah Jazz tonight at EnergySolutions Arena.

Jazz center Al Jefferson averages 16.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Jefferson also is a good mid-range shooter, so Vucevic will have to be prepared for Jefferson's pump fakes.

Vucevic's confidence is as high now as it's been this season.

"I know I can do it, and it's going to happen that some games I'm going to struggle a little bit offensively," Vucevic said.

"But I don't let that get me down on myself. I keep playing hard in practice and try to stay on top of my game. What's also helping me is my teammates and coaches keep believing in me and they keep making those passes to me. I've been able to finish the last couple of games, and it's definitely going to help my confidence a lot."

Players and coaches want Vucevic to be aggressive on the inside, rebound and finish when he gets the ball in the paint.

Those expectations, as well as the expectations for others, were made clear in the meeting.

"It helped everybody," Vucevic said. "We had a good talk in that meeting. We talked about everybody's role, what everybody has to do, and it showed in these last two games. It definitely helped me."

Impressed

Warriors coach Mark Jackson warned his players before Monday's tipoff that the Magic would give them a test.

The Magic proved him right.

"They were the more aggressive team," Jackson said. "They outworked us. We haven't been outworked in a long time. They were the more physical team. When you look at 41 points — 23 off of our turnovers and 18 from second-chance points — you can't gift a team 41 points."

Layups

• The Magic didn't practice Tuesday. They had an off-day in Salt Lake City.

• The Magic have lost three consecutive games to the Jazz. The Magic also have lost three consecutive games in Salt Lake City.

jbrobbins@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog and follow him on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins.